Transmitting system, transmission slotting apparatus, receiving apparatus, and transmission slot generating method

1. A transmitting system comprising: a variable-length packet multiplexing apparatus which generates a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; and a transmission slotting apparatus which stores the variable-length packet in any of a plurality of slots forming transmission main signals; wherein the transmission slotting apparatus comprises at least one processor or at least one circuit, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit: receiving setting information for the transmission main signals for one frame, calculating, based on the setting information, a data capacity of the transmission main signals for one frame, extracting a byte number of the variable-length packet, calculating a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number, storing, if the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals having stored the variable-length packet in any of the slots is less than a minimum byte number of a variable-length packet, a predetermined data sequence in a region left in the slots and outputting the slots storing the data sequence, and multiplexing slot information and the output slots, wherein the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit further: calculates the data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determines whether or not the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, calculates the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity for the next combination, determines whether or not the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number, and stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the variable-length packet is a Type Length Value (TLV) packet.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein, if the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals having stored the variable-length packet in any of the slots is less than 4 bytes, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots and outputs the slots storing the data sequence.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data sequence is predetermined for each case of the remaining capacity less than the minimum byte number, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the data sequence corresponding to the remaining capacity in the region left in the slots.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores a Network Time Protocol (NTP) packet at a head of a first one of the slots forming the transmission main signals for one frame.

6. A transmitting system comprising: a variable-length packet multiplexing apparatus which generates a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; and a transmission slotting apparatus which stores the variable-length packet in any of a plurality of slots forming transmission main signals; wherein the transmission slotting apparatus comprises at least one processor or at least one circuit, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit: receives setting information for the transmission main signals for one frame, calculates, based on the setting information, a data capacity of the transmission main signals for one frame, extracts a byte number of the variable-length packet, calculates a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number extracted, stores, if storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots makes the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals less than a minimum byte number of a variable-length packet, a null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to an end of the slots and outputs the slots storing the null packet, and multiplexing slot information and the output slots, wherein the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit further: calculates the data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determines whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination less than the minimum byte number, stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, calculates the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity for the next combination, determines whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination less than the minimum byte number, and stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the variable-length packet is a TLV packet.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein, if storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots makes the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals less than 4 bytes, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots and outputs the slots storing the null packet.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores an NTP packet at a head of a first one of the slots forming the transmission main signals for one frame.

10. A transmission slotting apparatus comprising: at least one processor or at least one circuit configured to: receive setting information for transmission main signals for one frame; calculate, based on the setting information, a data capacity of the transmission main signals for one frame, the transmission main signals comprising a plurality of slots; extract a byte number of a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; calculate a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number; store, if the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals having stored the variable-length packet in any of the slots is less than a minimum byte number of a variable-length packet, a predetermined data sequence in a region left in the slots and outputs the slots storing the data sequence; and multiplex slot information and the output slots, wherein the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit further: calculates the data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determines whether or not the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, calculates the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity for the next combination, determines whether or not the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number, and stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the variable-length packet is a TLV packet.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein, if the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals having stored the variable-length packet in any of the slots is less than 4 bytes, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the data sequence in a region left in the slots and outputs the slots storing the data sequence.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the data sequence is predetermined for each case of the remaining capacity less than the minimum byte number, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the data sequence corresponding to the remaining capacity in the region left in the slots.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores an NTP packet at a head of a first one of the slots forming the transmission main signals for one frame.

15. A transmission slotting apparatus comprising: at least one processor or at least one circuit configured to: receive setting information for transmission main signals for one frame; calculate, based on the setting information, a data capacity of the transmission main signals for one frame, the transmission main signals comprising a plurality of slots; extract a byte number of a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; calculate a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number; store, if storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots makes the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals less than a minimum byte number of a variable-length packet, a null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to an end of the slots and outputs the slots storing the null packet; and multiplex slot information and the output slots, wherein the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme, and the at least one processor or the at least one circuit further: calculates the data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determines whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination less than the minimum byte number, stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, calculates the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity for the next combination, determines whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination less than the minimum byte number, and stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the variable-length packet is a TLV packet.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein, if storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots makes the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals less than 4 bytes, the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots, and outputs the slots storing the null packet.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor or the at least one circuit stores an NTP packet at a head of a first one of the slots forming the transmission main signals for one frame.

19. A transmission slot generating method comprising: calculating a data capacity of transmission main signals for one frame based on setting information for the transmission main signals for one frame, the transmission main signals comprising a plurality of slots; extracting a byte number of a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; calculating a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number; storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots; storing, if the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals having stored the variable-length packet in any of the slots is less than a minimum byte number of a variable length packet, a predetermined data sequence in a region left in the slots; and multiplexing slot information and the slots storing the data sequence, the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme; and further comprising: calculating a data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculating a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determining whether or not a remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, storing the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination is less than the minimum byte number, calculating the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculating a remaining capacity for the next combination, determining whether or not the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number, and storing the data sequence in a region left in the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.

20. A transmission slot generating method comprising: calculating a data capacity of transmission main signals for one frame based on setting information for the transmission main signals for one frame, the transmission main signals comprising a plurality of slots; extracting a byte number of a variable-length packet comprising information indicative of a type of data and information indicative of a byte number of the data; calculating a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals based on the data capacity and the byte number; storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots; storing, if storing the variable-length packet in any of the slots makes the remaining capacity of the transmission main signals less than a minimum byte number of a variable-length packet, a null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to an end of the slots; and multiplexing slot information and the slots storing the null packet, the setting information comprises a plurality of combinations of a coding rate and a modulation scheme; and further comprising: calculating a data capacity for a first combination among the combinations, calculating a remaining capacity of the data capacity for the first combination, determining whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the first combination less than the minimum byte number, storing the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots calculated for the first combination if the remaining capacity is less than the minimum byte number, calculating the data capacity for a next combination among the combinations, calculates a remaining capacity for the next combination, determining whether or not storing the variable-length packet in the slots makes the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination less than the minimum byte number, and storing the null packet instead of the variable-length packet up to the end of the slots if the remaining capacity calculated for the next combination is less than the minimum byte number.